Storm of Their Hearts
by Ink-of-Eden
Summary: Rin, a housekeeper of a Castle, saved Hatsuharu from a storm. As she hides him from The Master, they discover the dark secrets of each other's pasts. Will they contain the storm in their hearts? Or will secrets draw them into each other's arms? ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1 The Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.

Chapter One: The Storm

Rin looked out the dining room window into the storm that was brewing outside the castle; roaring thunder, flashes of lightening, and thrashing wind grew wilder by the minute. As the young woman put a hand to the glass pane, large sheets of gray rain pelted the ground. Although it was a dreary sight, she could not tear her dark violent eyes from it. She was mesmerized by the tempest just outside the door.

"Miss Isuzu?" A young, feminine voice broke Rin from her reverie. She turned around and saw the maid, Tohru, watching her.

"What is it?" Rin asked watching the storm once more.

"You asked me for me, Miss Isuzu. I came following your orders," Tohru's voice shook, nervously; she was not used to being called to the Castle's housekeeper's presence and the storm frightened her.

"The horses have all been fed and watered?"

"Yes, ma'am. Yuki saw to it himself."

"Good. I want all the doors secured with a bolt and a the fire started in the library's fireplace. After that is finished, all the servants may go to bed."

"Yes, ma'am." Tohru bowed and her black dress bounced as she bounded down the stairs.

Rin touched the glass pane once more and she looked through the blowing wind and sheets of rain, her eyes searching, before departing into the heart of the castle to finish her duties as housekeeper. As she walked through the corridors, her black dress swished with each step she took.

Tohru found Rin sitting on a small couch in the library reading when she had finished her assigned chores. The tall, thin woman about twenty years old sat with a stiff, straight posture as she poured over the lines of ink and paper. She watched her for a while, not wishing to disturb her, and remembered the day she came to live at the castle.

It was night very much like this one: dark, stormy, and full of wind tearing apart the branches of trees. Rin appeared on the doorstep, wearing a gray dress dirty and soaked through, and carrying a large carpet bag. She was tall and lanky, but her eyes and posture proved that she was stronger than she appeared. Now, two years later, Rin was housekeeper, but her waistline hadn't changed.

"What is it, Tohru?" Rin asked, looking up from her book.

"The chores are finished, Miss Isuzu." Tohru bowed and waited for more.

"Good. Now go to bed," Rin picked up the book once more. When the young girl had left, Rin sighed heavily and dropped the thick-skinned novel on the couch. She stood up and walked over the window. The storm had not eased one bit and was just as fiery as ever. As her violet eyes surveyed the damage, she saw something emerging from the shadows. It was a lone figure, tall, but stumbling in his steps.

Rin watched, now with wide eyes, as the man faltered and fell to the ground, face down. Gasping, she whirled around-her black dress swirling and her long, black hair falling out her bun- and dashed out of the library to the stairs. Her small feet and long legs made quick work of the steps as she descended lower and lower to the main hall. She reached it and lunged for the large front door.

It was locked, as instructed, and that only slowed the housekeeper more. She picked up the heavy bolt and threw it off with amazing strength that even she didn't know she possessed. When the bolt hit the ground and the loud sound died away, the front door was open and sheets of rain was pouring inside.

Rin ran blindly through the storm, her skirts in her hands, and her violet eyes searching for the man. She could feel her hair clinging to her skin and the dress getting heavier by the minute. Her black shoes were sticking the thick mud of the earth.

She walked on, sure of where the man was until his body was vaguely visible on the ground in the same position he was in when he fell. His face, darkened by the shadows of the night and storm, was laying in the mud. Rin let loose of her skirts and squatted in the dirt. She touched the man's hair and wiped a few bangs from his eyes. Without a second thought, she picked up his arms and pulled him into her own. He was heavy and began to slip out of her grip.

With a cry of frustration, she cleaved to his armpits and secured her hold there. His large head of gray hair hung low and rested on her shoulder. Rin's heart pounded in her chest as she could feel the small amount of heat flowing from him. He was still alive and she must save him.

Since this man was unconscious, Rin had to work twice as hard to move in the mud to reach the house. Her heavy, black-now gray with mud- dress was plastered onto her body and picked up mounds of mud as she sloshed her way through. Once or twice she stumbled from catching a piece of fabric under her shoe; it took more time to pry it out from under her and this man she carried was no help as well.

It seemed hours had gone by when at last Rin was able to carry the man through the front door and onto a rug. The pelting rain had made a large puddle behind the door and she made a note to get someone, most likely, Kagura to clean that up. The door pushed by the wind and rain refused to move, but Rin would not be given by it. With a push and several gasps of breath later, the door was shut and the bolt put back on.

The tall, soaked housekeeper leaned against the door and panted for air. Her strength was almost all gone and her legs ached after working so hard through mud and fabric. She saw the man on the rug move his hand a little.

_He must taken to a couch._ Rin walked over to the figure and picked up his arms. She no more strength to carry him and dragging was the next best thing. Calling for Yuki or Kyo was not an option, Kyo would most likely complain about bringing a stranger onto the premises and Yuki would flat out refuse to help him.

Once the young man was settled onto a couch located in the south wing corridor, she studied his face. Grim and dirt were splattered over the contours of his features; his hair was soaked with the gray mud so his real color was unidentifiable.

"I must clean you," she said to him, knowing full well he was barely awake. She went off to the kitchen wing to retrieve the necessary items.

Returning to him with a large, wooden bucket, two towels, and a pitcher of warm water, she kneeled by him. As she poured the warm water into the bucket, she soaked one towel and began to rub his face with it.

Fortunately, the dirt had not dried and came off easily; after a few minutes of easy work, Rin was able to see his face. Her breath caught and her heart pounded.

_He's so beautiful_. She thought rubbing his bangs from his face. This young man had a long, lean jaw with a fine nose. _I wonder what color his eyes are._ Rin gently traced his jawline with a finger. His skin was soft and smooth. The stranger must have been sleeping, for he never moved or flinched from her touch.

_I must finish cleaning him_. Rin squeezed out the dirt and grim into the pitcher and soaked the towel with clean water. She patted his hair wet and pulled out long bits of leaves and clumps of filth. Taking the other towel, she wiped it dry as best she could. When she finished, she took a good look at him. His hair was white! Taking a few strands in her fingers, she rubbed them together. Yes, his hair was white as the first snow of winter.

_It suits him_. Rin gazed at his hair that was thick and layered and thinned out at his neck line where the hair color faded then darkened into black. She admired his looks and his hair; her violet eyes taking in every detail of his face.

When her gaze rested on his lips, she stared at them for a while. They were not pencil-thin, nor were they full and plump like a fat man's; they were perfect. Unconsciously, she leaned over and traced the lower lip with her finger.

Slowly, she bent closer to his face and kissed his lips with her own. They were as she thought, soft and wonderful, but cold. Her lips didn't move and only stayed there for a while, taking in the feel of his own until she felt him shiver under her.

Rin jerked back and held a hand to her lips. _What have I done?_ She thought as she traced her mouth with a finger. The man shivered some more and Rin remembered he still wore his dark, dripping clothes.

"I will find you some attire," she said to him again. Walking away, her heart quivered beneath the bones of her ribcage. Why had she kissed him? Her soft, pink lips were still warm from the intimate gesture as she walked into an empty bedroom for a set of pants and a shirt. Returning to him, the stranger still had not moved.

_How will I dress him?_ She thought, nervously. Tonight, she was a bundle of nerves. Normally, she was calm and strict with everything in her life. As she stood over this strange man with white hair and soft lips, she knew that he was turning her life around dramatically and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a worse. And as she thought of him, she knew she would have to hide him from Tohru and other servants and most of all the Master who was arriving at the castle tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2 Hiding Place

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.

Chapter Two- The Hiding Place

Hatusharu opened his gray eyes to see a ceiling of black stone looming high above him. Blinking, he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or he was lost... again. He raised his head to get a better look around, but a dull pain the back of his head halted that idea. As he lay his head down again, he took a deep breath of air. What was the smell? Was it cherry blossoms?

"Where am I?"

Not caring about the pain, he forced himself into a sitting position and swung his legs over a bed. As he pushed the white sheets away with one hand, he reached out to the bedpost with the other. His feet hit the floor and a chill drove up his spine. The floor was freezing! He looked down at his feet and saw that his shoes had been removed and so had his pants! Indeed, he was only wearing a shirt; obviously, not his because it smelled clean.

Who had changed his clothes while he was sleeping? How did he get here? And where was 'here'?

The pain in his leg grew as he tried to take a step and look about the room. Objects grew blurry and now his eyes hurt. His hand let go of the post and clutched his face. As he no longer had any support, his weak legs failed him and his six foot, lanky build fell to the cold floor. His head touched the stone and his gray eyes closed; the last thing he heard was the sound of a door opening and an angelic voice crying out, "What's wrong?" Then he blacked out.

There was the sound of wind softly blowing against his face and a soft, warm hand caressed his cheek. The smell of cherry blossoms, sweet and fresh, blew past his nostrils. Was this dream?

Hatsuharu opened his eyes slowly to see the face of a young woman peering down at him. She had black hair tied in a bun with two strands hanging in front of her ears. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade violet, he had ever seen. Without a thought, he instinctively reached out and caressed her cheek with his thumb. The skin was soft like silk and warm.

"She's so beautiful." He thought as he stared into her eyes. Gray into Violet, two dark colors swirling as it seemed Time had stopped so it too could enjoy this moment.

Then it was broken. The young woman pulled out his grasp to sit up straight as a board on the bed. She straightened a sheet before finding a piece of furniture especially interesting. As for Haru, he was still in a daze, watching her, not able to tear his eyes from her angelic face. Closing his eyes, he soaked in the warmth of the bed and the feel of her sitting next to him.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked. He opened his eyes and saw her looking back at him.

"Yes, I am," he replied, smiling.

"Good," she answered in her usual strict mood, but she stuttered back, "Um... I'm glad. I found you on the floor and I had to back to bed." She blushed, which so unusual for her, that she wasn't sure what she was doing and her cheeks grew hotter by the second. Hatsuharu thought it was cute.

"What's your name?" he asked, laying a hand on her knee. She blushed more and was silent.

"I'm Hatsuharu, but you can call me Haru," he smiled once more and squeezed her knee gently.

The young woman bit her lip and said quietly, "My name is Isuzu."

The young man cocked his white-haired head to one side, "I like it. It suites you."

"Th-thank you," she said. Standing up, Hatsuharu's hand falling to the sheets, and leaving a warmth on that knee, Isuzu smoothed her skirts to brush away any feelings toward this stranger.

"You must stay in bed. Don't try to get up and move around. You're much too weak from traveling in such a terrible storm."

"Storm?" the young man asked, not remembering any storm.

"Yes," she looked confused, "You mean you don't have any recollection of wandering in a terrible thunderstorm?"

He scratched his head and smiled, "No, I don't. I set out from an unfamiliar town and next thing I know, I'm here."

"You got lost," she said flatly. When he didn't answer, she moved toward the door to leave.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I must see to my work. Rest here and I will return with your dinner." She went out the door and shut it softly. When her footsteps died away, Haru rested his eyes. The dull pain had subsided into an annoying ache, but a new pain took its place. It wasn't physical, more emotional and heart filled. Would that pain ever go away? Was it to constantly fill that empty void in his soul and replace darkness with sadness?

Haru clenched his gray eyes shut and tried to block out all thoughts of that empty space in his soul and that pain that filled it always at the wrong time.

Rin walked as fast she could from the bedroom without darting into a full run. Her heart was pounding in her eardrums and the echoes of his voice played through her mind. He sounded so calm and protecting that her strong-willed and strict manner was calmed by it. What was he doing to her?

She went up the stone stairs to the kitchen, counting the stairs as she did every morning, and wiped her sweaty hands on her skirts. That stranger made her so nervous and calm at the same time, it was ruining her intolerant attitude as a housekeeper.

"Miss Isuzu!" Tohru bounded over the tall woman and bowed with a giant smile on her lips. "Yuki and Kyo have unlocked all the doors and windows. Kagura is preparing breakfast and I have started to dust!"

Rin nodded grimly, forcing her thoughts from the handsome man in the bedroom downstairs, "Good. We must prepare the Master's rooms immediately. I will see to his bedding myself and I want the dining hall to be ready the minute the Master arrives."

The tiny maid, with her hair tied in two pigtails, smiled, bowed and bounced off to do her chores. "That maid is too happy to be doing her daily work this early in the morning," thought Rin as she walked into the large kitchen. Occupied inside, was a young girl with her braided back wearing an apron. She was stirring violently at a bowl and contents of whatever she was stirring flew out wildly.

"Kagura, calm down. The Master shouldn't arrive until later this evening," Rin said sternly. This cook had the most violent temper in the castle, almost as bad as the Master's. She raged through her work like a boar charging at a its prey and she would not quit unless quieted by time or someone. Usually that someone was Yuki or Rin. Their quiet and stern moods had a calming effect on her and Rin was the housekeeper, higher than her in the rank of servants.

The young woman stopped stirring, looked up at Rin and blushed. Small particles of batter peppered her face and several dripped from her black bangs. "I'm sorry, Miss Isuzu. I just got so carried away at the sight of Kyo this morning, that I rushed into a blind rage!"She said smiling. Rin was not.

"Don't let it happen again today, Kagura. I will not tolerate any of your 'episodes'." She spun on her heel and strode off to the Master's quarters to do his laundry. When she reached it, the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it fully open, she took a long glaze about the quarters.

It was in a terrible state: bedsheets thrown over the floor, clothes scattered onto furniture, dust settled on top of everything in a nice, gray layer. It looked awful and Rin had taken this assignment alone. She couldn't ask anyone else to help her, they were all busy with their own chores. Taking responsibility was her job as housekeeper.

Rin tightened her bun on her head and set to work. She organized, dusted, and did the laundry. For the rest of the morning, she busied herself with the Master's personal belongings and affects. While her hands moved about with the dirty sheets and the tossed clothes, she thought of Hatsuharu downstairs.

It something about his white hair and dark, gray eyes that fascinated her. And his mouth. How could she have forgotten of his lips against hers last night? They were cold from the harsh, wintry winds and slashing rains, but they had grown warm under her touch.

Rin felt blood rush to her pale cheeks; she was blushing. Laying the back of her hand against one side of her face, it felt warm. _"What is wrong with me? I kiss this... stranger while he's sleeping and then I can't stop thinking about him?"_ Violently, she stomped her foot. _"I am a fool."_ A picture of his eyes came back into her mind; so calm and consuming. They drew her in, in a flood of gray. When she had seen him last night on that couch, they were closed and it bothered her that she didn't know their color. Knowing now only bothered her more.

When she came back with clothes for Hatsuharu last night, she wasn't sure what to do about him. He was a man, first of all, and she, a woman. But her pride and position came back to her and she undressed him out of his wet and dirty clothes, and then wiped him down with a clean towel. When he was dry, she dressed him a pair of baggy black pants and a large white shirt with long puffed sleeves.

The next thing that worried Rin was the problem that the Master was coming home tomorrow. If a stranger was in the house, without his knowledge, he would be furious and more than naught throw him out. He was not known for his generosity or his kindness to others, except his closest companions, his doctor Hatori and his two personal comrades, Shigure and Kureno.

Throwing Hatsuharu outside into the mud, after her hard work to bring him and care for him, was not Rin's intention. So she grabbed his armpits and dragged him through the hallways and down the stairs from the kitchen, which she was sure would wake him up, but it didn't. He was a sound sleeper. On the bottom- or as the servants called it the Under floor- she dragged the heavy man with white hair to her bedroom. Why on earth did she take him there? There were at least three other empty bedrooms on that floor. Rin didn't know or care, she only wanted him out of sight from everyone. No one went in that room, so it was perfect. For now.

After cleaning the mess on the couch where Haru had laid and hid his clothes, she slept in the room next door to her own. She made sure he was comfortable on her bed before going to sleep. Her hand had lingered over his bangs as she swept them away from his face. But she snatched it away before any other nonsense took place.

Rin stood back and admired her work. The room was spotless, not a single thing was out of line or dirty. The sheets were made and the clothes were folded and stacked in a chest. Dust was swept away; it was perfect. She nodded at her work with her hands on her hips then walked out, satisfied with the end result.

Hatsuharu rolled over onto his side on the bed and his elbow rested with his head in his hand. It wasn't a big bed that needed a footstool to reach the top mattress, but it certainly wasn't laying flat on the ground. It was a double bed, odd because it was meant for a servant who was not married, and it had large mattresses, which often meant it was built for a rich patron.

His eyes scanned the room and took in the simple furnishings of the place; there was the dresser, head mirror on table which had writing supplies on top, a chair, and a simple rug in the center of the room. How did he get here and how long will he stay?

The door opened and the angelic face of Isuzu entered carrying a tray of food. Hatsuharu sat up and waited the meal. She placed it in front of him and waited. He stared at the contents: beef with fried onions and broth, rice and a heavy pile of fresh fruit. When was the last time he had this much.

"You want some?" he asked pointing at the tray. With a shocked expression, she shook her head. "This is too much, take some." He picked up the bowl of beef and onions and held it out to her.

"I don't want some. I've already eaten," she said with her hands behind her back. It wasn't true. She skipped lunch to finish the Master's quarters and to get back to Haru.

Rin's stomach growled and Hatsuharu's eyebrow cocked up an inch. The hand that held the wooden bowl reached further out to her. She took it with confidence. He smiled at her and patted the space in front of him... on the bed.

"Sit," he ordered with a gentle tone. Rin was used to taking and obeying orders, but this man was a stranger, one she was attracted to.

"I'll stand," she replied. He shook his head.

"I won't bite," he confirmed giving her a half-grin, one corner of his mouth turned upwards.

She finally complied and sat down on the edge of her bed. He waited for her to dig into his beef. Taking hold of the fork on the tray, she took several bites of food-four actually- before giving the bowl back at him. He frowned at the small amount she took.

"Thank you," she said. Knowing that he couldn't force her to eat, Hatsuharu ate the remaining contents of the bowl. He found out he was absolutely famished! If he wasn't a gentleman, he would have licked the bowl. Rin picked at the fruit, but did eat a whole apple. He ate an apple, two bananas, and a handful of green grapes.

"You don't eat much," he said leaning back, full from supper.

"I've never liked to eat too much food. It makes me sick," she answered.

"No wonder you're so thin," he said laughing. She was shocked. Did he just insult her or compliment her? She wasn't sure.

"Don't be offended."

"A-all right," she said looking at the rug on the floor. An awkward silence arose and neither of the two moved. Hatsuharu asked after about five minutes, "Where am I? How did I get here?"

Rin looked back up, "You're at the Sohma Castle. I found you outside last night, wandering like you were lost in the middle of a terrible storm. You fainted in the mud and I carried you inside. Right now, you're downstairs in the servants' quarters below the kitchen."

He nodded in understanding, waited for a moment, then leaned forward so their faces were inches apart. "Is this your bed?" he asked, with a smirk.

A familiar, warm feeling rushed into Rin's cheeks and she looked away, but she nodded. Haru's smirk died and asked, "Where did you sleep last night?"

"In the bedroom, next door," she answered getting off the bed.

"What do you do here?"

"I'm the housekeeper," she answered. Haru took it in like a sponge.

"Why did you take me in?" he asked.

"I-I was concerned for another fellow being," she said curtly taking the tray rather quickly. The fork fell to the floor. Both Haru and Rin watched it fall. He got up from under the covers and stood on the floor, his feet still a little weak wobbled, but he kept his balance. Leaning down, he picked up the fork and dropped it on the tray. Their eyes met.

"Were you concerned for me? Or was it something else?" he asked softly placing a hand on one of hers holding the tray. She trembled under his touch and jumped back.

"I was concerned!" She said stated, trying to prover her strength and truth. But it wasn't true. There was something more. Something she didn't want anyone, especially this man who attracted her, to know about. The only person who knew was the Master and for the last two years, he hasn't said a word.

She turned around, her skirts twirling, and marched to the door, but it was closed. With both hands on the tray, she couldn't open it without putting down the tray. Hatsuharu noticed this before she even moved and walked behind her. Reaching around her thin body, he grabbed the handle and yanked the door open. Rin stepped back to avoid the door, but crashed into his body instead. Startled, she let go of the tray and its contents scattered over the floor.

Both of them squatted down and picked up the utensils, remaining fruit and trash before standing. Rin backed away from him blushing. She seemed to be doing more of that lately. Haru watched her walk away, almost scurrying from his presence. He sighed with his gray eyes full of concern.

That beautiful young woman intrigued him and he felt a sudden need to help her, but he didn't know how. Right before she went up the stairs, she turned around and said, "I want you to stay inside the room until I move you to another one. If anyone sees you, it could be trouble for the both of us." He nodded and she disappeared up the stairs. Then he turned around and shut the door, leaving the hallway empty once more.

Rin placed the tray on the counter and wiped her hands on her skirts. Her heart was trembling and so were her hands; Haru did this to her. When his long fingers grasped her own on that tray, she was shaken by the touch. But when she accidentally bumped into him, she was so startled and nervous that the tray just left her hands. That man just scared her, plain and simple.

"Miss Isuzu?" Tohru called from behind her. Rin turned around and nodded at her. "What is it?"

"The Master has arrived with Lord Shigure, Kureno, and Hatori."


	3. Chapter 3 The Master

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.

Chapter Three- The Master

Rin paused before opening the library doors; her muscles were tense and her back, stiff as board, as it usually was when she was taking on the responsibility of housekeeper. She lifted her hand and turned the brass handle.

"Rin." A husky voice came from within the shadows of the library. The young woman kept silent. No one in the household used her nickname, except herself and the Master. She entered the room and shut the massive door behind her.

"Come in, Rin, you know I won't bite," the voice continued. With slight hesitation, she took a few steps forward and kept her long limbs at her sides. A slight chuckle floated through the air from the same voice that was talking.

Then a slim figure appeared from the window; it was the same window that Rin had been standing at last night, watching the storm, the one that brought Haru to her. This figure was lanky and had a slow, commanding posture as well as stride. One leg glided across the service and other lifted up and followed. It was almost graceful. When the figure stopped directly in the center of the room, the Master said, "Is this how you greet me, Rin? I thought better of my housekeeper."

Rin, forgotten her duty and respect to this man, dipped in a small curtsy. Her head bowed and then raised up to see her Master smiling, almost smirking at her. It was usually like that; he always smirked at her, enjoying the power he had over his servants, especially her. She had a special position with the Master; he controlled her like a puppet ever since she came to this castle two years.

"What have you done in my absence, Rin?" the Master asked walking over to her and gently touching her jaw. She kept steady and answered with no emotion, "Keeping the Castle in good order."

His finger which had oddly, long shaped fingernails, separated itself from her skin and rubbed against his pant leg. It appeared he was rubbing away the contact he had with her, but he made no distinction if he was.

"Why do you not greet my companions, Rin? They have waited to see you after a long while," the Master said gesturing to the three men sitting on the couches surrounding the hearth. The glow of the fire revealed the familiar faces of the usual guests.

Rin again bowed to these men and greeted them, "Welcome back, Lord Shigure, Master Kureno and Doctor Hatori."

The three men bowed their heads in response; Shigure smiling, holding a fan to his face and the other two men not even grinning. As for the Master, he waved his hand in a shooing motion. "That's enough," he said. Rin nodded grimly. The men turned to each other and ignored the two standing although Shigure watched with interest, his brown eyes never leaving the scene.

Rin wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Has anything happened in my absence, Rin?" the Master asked seriously. She held firm, thinking of Haru downstairs. _"He can't know about Haru! I must protect him!"_

"Nothing," she answered her eyes glazed over. He nodded and turned away.

"You may leave, Rin," the Master said waving his hand at her as if shooing at a rat. She bowed at the four men and took her leave. The door shut with a soft click behind her.

"Akito." Hatori lit a cigarette. His dark eyes watching the Master sit down leisurely next to Kureno. His small hands plowing through his blonde tresses. Then he looked at the doctor with a smile.

"What is it, Hatori?"

"How long do you tend to keep this up with her?" he asked throwing the match into the hearth. The Master, Akito, pulled his hands out of Kureno's hair and wiped a piece of lint on his black pants away.

"As long as I need to," he answered. Hatori sighed. Shigure waved at himself with the fan and Kureno remained a stone.

"Why do you do this to her?" Hatori pressed.

"I have my reasons." And with that being the final answer, Akito gazed at a box on the far corner of the fireplace. It was locked with a tiny, silver clasp; the key was on his person, always in his left breast pocket. Patting that said pocket with his hand, he smirked at the depth of his power of his housekeeper.

Rin scurried down the hallways, avoiding any servants; she reached the stairs and rapidly flew down the steps. The servants' hallway was empty except for Yuki and Kyo who were arguing... as usual. The housekeeper rolled her eyes and pushed her way into her bedroom.

Hatsuharu was sitting at her desk writing on a blank sheet of paper with her calligraphy set. He looked at up when she came in and gave her a grin, one corner of his mouth turned up. Their eyes caught hold of one another and held for a while. It was Haru to break the spell and look down at his writing again. His large hand wrote slowly and carefully, wanting to get every curve and line correct.

"How's your head?" Rin asked. He looked at her and felt the back of his scalp.

"It hurts more when I'm not resting. In a little while, I should be fully recovered." He smiled and began to write again.

"What are you doing?" Rin asked stepping toward him. He didn't look up this time.

"Writing a letter to a friend." The answer being direct and flat, the young woman took the hint to not pursue the subject, although her curiousity was peaked.

"I need to move you to a different room," she announced looking at him with a sharp gaze. The pen stopped moving and the ink dried in silence. Hatsuharu looked up.

"Where to?" he asked putting down the calligraphy pen.

"Next door. The Master has come home with his companions. Their servants will be staying down here and if I don't sleep in my room, there will be questions," Rin said. "I don't care what they say, but I don't want them to find out about you."

"Why not?" Haru stood up and put his hands in his pockets, very relaxed and comfortable like. "Why the secrecy?"

"It's complicated." She hoped he would get the hint. He chose not to.

"Why not say I'm a relative visiting?"

"L-lie?! I couldn't do that!" Rin stuttured, but regained her composure. "Besides, everyone knows I have no family. It would be too strange for a new relative to show up!" _But it's not true. I have family. I am not communicating with them right now. Ever._

"Finish your letter. I will return later with your supper and we'll move you to a new room." Hatsuharu walked up to her and gazed into her violet eyes. The color was intensely beautiful and mind-consuming.

"As soon as I heal from my injuries," he began, "I won't burden you anymore."

Rin felt her heart squeeze and ache. "You could stay, for a little while longer," she suggested, looking hopefully into his gray eyes. The young man grinned at her, but did not touch her, for reasons of his own.

"I could stay a little longer," he assured her and she found she could breathe again.


	4. Chapter 4 The Past

Chapter Four- The Past

Hatsuharu's eyelids lowered as he head leaned down to Rin's; his mouth coming closer to hers.

"_He's going to kiss me!"_ She screamed in her head. _"I can't-shouldn't- do it! I won't give in!"_

Placing her hands on his chest, Rin pushed Hatsuharu gently away. She shook her head no and he understood, and even seemed to push away from her as well. They dropped their arms to their sides, the tension only rising instead of falling.

"I will bring back your supper," she said, not looking into his eyes and made her way to the door. When he called her name, she stopped and faced him, her heart trembling at the sight of him.

"I don't know how long I'll be able to stay. I might have to leave sooner than you think," he said, with a grim expression written over his fine features. Patiently, he waited for her answer.

"I understand," she replied then left him alone once more.

When she was gone, he raked his fingers through his white hair. _"What was I thinking? I can't like her... I can't show any affection towards her!"_ Slowly, he rubbed a sore spot on the back of his head. _"If I do... I'll only hurt her. She's been so nice to me. I can't... I can't afford to hurt this one person who's risked helping me."_

Then he sighed heavily, one of stress and strain, then he sat down back at the table and picked up his pen to continue his letter to a 'friend'.

"_Shishou... I have returned..." _Frustrated with the words on the page, Haru laid down the pen and stared at the words. Why couldn't he tell him any more? It's been three years and half years, surely... surely, he would have forgiven by now. Has Shishou forgiven him? Hatsuharu's skin turned cold as he thought of Shishou's icy stare upon him the night he left. Those baby-blue eyes sparkled with malice as he watched Haru walk out of his home and into the fog, three years and a half years ago.

Flashback

Kazuma towered over Hatsuharu as the two men stood facing each other, the doorway between them. Kazuma standing inside the house and Hastuharu standing outside. The older man had his hand to the door; the younger held a bundle of clothes. Neither were happy and both understood hugs and tears were useless things right now.

"I'm sorry, Shishou," Haru said, looking at the ground in front of him.

When the man didn't reply, Haru felt the last bit of hope inside him die. The void inside him was growing and the pain that filled it hurt even more. If Shishou couldn't forgive him, then he might be lost forever to a pain-filled darkness.

"You are a hunted man now, Hatsuharu," Kazuma said. "Don't return here unless you are prepared to face the consequences of your actions. I won't hide you here when the authorities are searching you out."

"Then I'll get going," Haru turned around and walked off into the fog.

As he disappeared from the house, Haru said, "I wish you well, Shishou."

End of Flashback

Rin went into the kitchens, her skirts whirling about her, and her bun securely in place. She saw Kagura setting out a tray of food for the Master. With precision and speed, the young woman worked about setting the dishes on the silver tray. She was so intent in her work, she didn't notice the young woman step up and take away the tray until it was it was in her hands.

"Miss Isuzu!" Kagura exclaimed with shock. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!"

"This is for the Master then?" Rin asked sharply.

"Yes, it is." She answered smiling. Every dinner was a work of art to her, and she was proud to create wonderful delicacies for the Master.

"Good." Then she was off to the dining hall where Akito was waiting, smirking at her. He was alone this time; Kureno and the other two were gone, most likely in the library. It was custom for the Master to eat alone; he refused to eat anything if someone else was eating as well.

"Rin," Akito greeted the housekeeper. Silently, the tray was placed in front of the Master. Rin stepped back and awaited any further commands.

Akito surveyed the meal, with a critical eye, but as usual Kagura had done well. He looked up at Rin; she was wearing her black dress with her long black tresses tied in a tight bun. Those violet eyes, once full of passion, were now glazed over. That particular detail was because of Akito.

Some might call it... a broken spirit that harbored Rin whenever she's around the Master; others might call it, silent reverance. As for Akito, he would like to call it, complete surrender and obedience. He loved that power he held over her; it was wonderful.

"Rin, won't you sit with me?" he offered. Rin sat down at the nearest chair and kept her back firmly stiff.

"Has it been tough, Rin? Living here, knowing you'll probably never see her again?" Akito asked, beginning to cut his meat and poke it with a fork. He went on, not waiting for an answer, "Do you think of her often? Every single day? Every waking moment? I bet you do. I bet you even dream of her. Do you dream of her, Rin?"

Rin turned away to stare at the candelabra on the table, a deep and unsettling pain stirred inside her. When she didn't answer, Akito ate heartily knowing today's battle had been won. He allowed her to leave.

"Do you think of her, Rin? Do you think of your daughter at all any more?" he said under his breath watching her retreating figure. "I know you do. Why else would you stay here? Under my control?"

Author's Note:

I apologize for not updating sooner. (Bows repeatedly in reverance to all readers and commentators). Thank you for reading! I shall try to update as soon as I can!


	5. Chapter 5 Finding Comfort

Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket.

Chapter Five- Finding Comfort

Trembling overtook Rin's shoulders as she walked from the Master's view in the dining hall, but she forced herself to remain strong until she reached her bedchamber. Her long legs moved gracefully across the hall floor taking in long strides. Several servants, Tohru and Kyo, were carrying silver trays that held the remnants of the Master's companions' supper. Tohru was talking excitedly to the orange-haired boy and was so dedicated to the conversation that she didn't see the bump in the hall rug.

CRASH! Tohru crashed into the floor, the silver tray sliding out of her reach and dishes scattering everywhere. Kyo set down the tray he was carrying and squatted next to the girl. Rin heard him mutter "Klutz" before offering her his hand. As to be expected, Tohru was fine and sputtering about the incident, trying to explain it was entirely her fault and she will clean it up. They didn't notice Rin was there until she said to them, "Clean this mess up! I will not tolerate a dirty floor when the Master and his guests are here!"

Kyo and Tohru shared a look of confusion and surprise as the tall woman glided past them to the kitchen. They saw her face was flushed and her knuckles were white from clutching her skirts too tightly.

As for the young housekeeper, she was on the verge of crying, but she had to remain strong, for herself and... for her daughter. Kagura was sitting down at the counter, drinking a cup of tea when Rin turned a corner and flew down the stairs to the Servants' hall. When she reached the bottom step, a harsh wind was blowing outside and resounded through the stone halls and bed chambers. Her hand reached for the handle to her own room, but before her fingers could touch the metal, the door swung open.

Hatsuharu stared down at the young woman in front of him who appeared to be flustered and angry. Yet with her black head bowed low, he could tell she was forcing herself to look this way. Her shoulders were quivering and that lovely face was growing red. Behind this mask of anger was fear and sadness. Instinctively, he wished to wrap his arms around this woman and hold her until she grew calm. But it was not his place to do so.

"Are you all right?" he asked, keeping any emotion out of his voice. Rin pushed past Hatsuharu and stormed into her bed chamber with her fists clenched.

Haru shut the door. Leaning his thin frame against the wood, he watched the young woman try to force down her emotions. She was pacing around the room with her face scowling.

What had caused her to become so angry on the outside and so afraid inside? Haru wondered. Aside from the awkward situation he was in, he began to think about her appearance. Several strands of hair had fallen from her bun and were now flying about as she kept her pace. Those violet eyes sparked and flashed with violent intentions.

"_She is very beautiful when she's angry."_ He thought.

Then on a whim, he walked to her and drew her into an embrace. He held her shoulders gently and kept his gaze forward on the wall so not to be too attracted to this position they were in.

Rin, startled from Haru's actions, forgot about the Master, her anger, her fear, and just for a tiny moment, her daughter. The man holding her did not let go instead, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. It wasn't a fierce hug like two lovers embracing after a long absence, but kind and... healing. Rin, unable to forget the recent events for a short while, tugged Haru closer. She grabbed his shirt with her fists and tucked her black head into her hands and his smell.

Tiny sobs escaped Rin's lips as she squeezed her violet eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. Haru's heart squeezed, hearing her pain. He didn't want Isuzu to be sad in any way; she had taken care of him and had hidden him away. She was kind to him and he wanted to repay the favor.

The two stayed like that for a while, just holding onto each other, soaking in the other's feelings and comfort. When Rin finally overcame her sobs, she let go Haru's shirt and wiped at the tears that spilled from her eyes. Haru released her from his hold and stepped back to allow her to calm down.

"Do you feel better now?" Haru asked, leaning against the wall.

Rin stopped her preening to look up at the white-haired man who had just comforted her. "I am fine now." Gratefulness and respect laced those beautiful violet eyes.

Hatsuharu grinned at her. Then time slowed down in Rin's bedroom as these two stared at one another. The corners of Haru's mouth dipped and the smile disappeared. Both hearts sped up and resounded in their ears. It was the only sound they heard, even if the winds of the night outside were roaring.

Rin felt drawn to Haru for his comfort and his kindness toward her. Haru was attracted to Rin not just by her goodness in taking him in, but her eyes of violet were the most the beautiful sight he had ever seen.

But it was Haru that broke the moment. He turned his head to look at the floor, shame marking his face. Rin stepped back, feeling the emptiness that surrounded the room now.

"I'll take you to your room," she said, her own eyes traveling across the stone floor. Haru nodded.

Rin exited her bedchamber first to make sure the hall was clear and then proceeded to the next door on the left. Opening it, she waved at Haru to get inside. He obeyed; she followed him.

The makings of the room were similar to Rin's: there was a bed, a desk, a chair, and a dresser. Haru looked around, his hands in his pockets, approving of the accommodations. When he faced the lovely woman again, he did not look in her eyes again for fear of being pulled in. Instead, he looked at her black hair. Rin noticed his avoiding gaze and accepted his rejection.

"I'll return tomorrow morning with breakfast. Do not leave the room unless necessary." She warned him and flew out the door, closing it behind her. Haru watched her leave, a burden on his shoulders.

He stripped himself of his shirt then entered the bed covers. Unlike Rin's, they were cold from not being used in a long time. Shivering, he forced his mind to think of other things than Rin, but her beautiful gaze tearing into himcould not be pushed away.

The void inside him had not shrunk in size and the pain that filled it had not left. But Hatsuharu felt as if the pain was slowly being chipped away with a chisel in the hand of Isuzu.

When Rin entered her room, another shudder escaped her for the second time since she left Hatsuharu's presence, but she began to take in slow breaths in order to prevent another. Placing a hand on her chest, the beating of her heart rippled through flesh to her fingers. It was faster than normal, but that was to be expected after looking into Haru's gray eyes.

She surveyed the room and her gaze rested on the bottom drawer of her chest. Crossing the room, she pulled out the drawer and surveyed the contents. A small box with a lock on it lay in the left corner and a sketchbook rested in the right. Her hand picked up the book and the other shut the drawer. As she sat down at the desk, she took out a sketching pencil from one of the drawers of the desk.

The first few pages of the sketchbook were landscape drawings of the area around the castle and several sketches of birds. Most of the bird sketches were not done, since they were fluttery things that would never hold still and would fly off before she finished. On the sixth page was a sketch of a face, Rin had thought she'd never seen again. It was a tiny face with huge, ebony eyes. Black tendrils of hair fell around the frame of her face that were similar to Rin's.

The young artist raised her fingers to caress her daughter's face in the book. She touched the hair, following the strokes of the pencil down to the bottom of the page. But she dared not touch those eyes, for fear of ruining the hard work she put into recreating them. Pulling away, she sighed. In almost every feature of that tiny face, it belonged to Rin as well. But the only thing that did not resemble Rin was her cheekbones. The child had very high cheekbones while Rin's were lower, giving her a rounder frame of face.

She tore her gaze from the picture and sighed. Turning the page, Rin found the next a blank. So she picked up her pencil and got comfortable in the chair. As she drew, she focused on her subject's features. She desired to get this picture from memory alone, like she had drawn her daughter. For the next hour, Rin worked steadily, moved the lead pencil over the face, eyes, and short-layered hair. When she finished, she was proud of her work and shut the book. Putting it away in the bottom drawer once more, she got dressed in her black nightgown and got in bed.

Author's Note

I want to thank all the fans who reviewed to this story! They've really spurred me on for this story.

About Rin's daughter: I hope the cheekbone detail made sense. I studied Rin's and ????'s pictures and compared them. I found Rin's cheekbones rounder and ????'s cheekbones higher and firmer. Have you guessed who it is yet? Guess you'll have to wait for me to reveal it. Hehe.


	6. Chapter 6 Going Outside

Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket.

Chapter Six- Going Outside

Rin woke up to the sound of snoring with her arms curling around the soft pillows, and her black hair in a tangled mess. It wasn't abnormally loud or obviously fake, rather more soft and hardly noticeable. But to the young housekeeper, it was a sound she wasn't accustomed to hearing in her room when she's sleeping. Her violet eyes flew open and she sat up hair flying.

But the room looked empty, not even the door was open so it wasn't anyone from the halls.

The snore came again followed by the sound of clothes shuffling. Rin normally didn't get frightened by things, but this was an exception. She leaned over the side of the bed to see if anyone was on the floor: no one was there. There was nothing on the other side as well.

"Whoever you are, get out of my room before I scream my head off," she said loudly, eyebrows arching. Rin was not a screamer, on the contrary, she was a fighter. But the intruder didn't know that... or so she thought.

"Huh?" A voice came up. It was deep and familiar, but very sleepy. "What's going on?"

Rin flew off the bed and grabbed the pitcher full of water that was meant for her morning 'bath'. She faced the voice and nearly dropped the pitcher. Hatsuharu was lying on the stone floor _behind_ her bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning. His white hair was messed more than usual and his clothes looked disheveled.

He saw the flash of black, turned his head to see what was going on, and _smiled_ at Rin. "Good morning, Miss Isuzu. Have you slept well?" he said, while pushing himself into a cross-legged position.

Too shocked to say anything, Rin stared at him. Haru saw that the pitcher was the verge of falling so he stood up and walked over to her. He smiled at her while taking the pitcher from her, his gray eyes never flickering away from her orbs of violet. Their hands brushed slightly causing her skin to tingle, his hands were cold from sleeping on the cold, stone floor.

He finally broke the staring contest to place the pitcher back on the stand. Rin held her arms in front of her, hugging herself to keep from shivering. When Haru turned back to her, the smile hadn't left his face. He was tempted to hold her forearms and rub them from shoulder to elbow, but his self-control returned just in time.

"What are you doing in here?" Rin asked, her eyebrows arching once more and tone of her voice implied her anger.

"You really want to know?" he asked, the smile disappearing. His eyes grew smoky and his voice dropping to a husky level. Yet, she would not deterred again.

"Yes, I do."

"I couldn't sleep for hours so I decided to sneak in here. Somehow I sleep better in your room." One corner of his mouth quirked up and he chuckled, his smoky gaze fading. "Funny, as soon as my head touched the stone floor my eyes closed and I fell asleep."

Rin raised one eyebrow, unamused. "Don't do that again."

"Sleep in your room?" he asked.

"Sleep on the floor. You could have gotten sick. If you get sick, I'll have to watch over you and I'll never get my chores done."

"So what should I do? Sleep in your bed?" he asked, the corner of his mouth lifting higher.

Rin's eyes grew larger and her mouth tightened, her lips paling from the pressure. She inhaled deeply and said, "No, you won't. You will sleep in the bed you were supposed to be sleeping in." With that said, she whirled around and began to make her bed. Haru frowned.

"How will I sleep, then?" he asked. Rin kept moving the sheets and fluffing her pillows, not once looking back at him.

"Warm milk can cure that," she said and swept back a wrinkle before facing the man again. Haru suddenly noticed her black nightgown. It had no lace or bow like most nightgowns. But it did have a collar that went up to her neck and traveled to her jaw. It looked so high and tight that Haru had to think that looked uncomfortable and most likely itchy. Why did she wear this? Her room was chilly at night (he knew this from experience), but this nightgown seemed unnecessary.

"Does that...feel at all comfortable?" he asked, reaching to finger the edge of the collar. Rin flinched, stepped back and pushed his large hand away. She marched to her door, opened it, and peeked her head out. She stepped back in and pushed the door even wider. "Out," she said. "I must dress."

Haru's mouth set, calmly he walked to the door and shut it with a push of his hand. Rin jumped back and glared at him. "Get out! I must dress!" she said, pointing at the exit. Haru shook his head, no. The young woman felt her heart skip a beat. From fear? Or...

"Let's get out today," Haru suggested, his arms crossing over his chest. Rin was backed into a corner, but he was far enough so he didn't seem like a threat, just a little intimidating. This was a new side of him she never saw.

"Out?" Rin repeated idiotically. He nodded, a corner of mouth lifting up again.

"Let's go outside and enjoy nature," he said. His arms dropped to his sides and his hands deposited themselves into the hidden folds of his pants.

"Outside?" Rin repeated again. Haru chuckled.

Meanwhile, the young housekeeper's thoughts flew around in her mind, refusing to settle. Leave... the castle? With Haru? While the master was home? What if they get caught? What if someone sees them? What if... the master gets angry? Immediately, Rin felt her heart squeeze. If the master got angry... Rin shook her head, her black locks shaking.

"No?" Haru asked. "Why not? We can escape during lunch when everyone is eating and come back before they finish."

"No, I can't." Rin stated, staring at Haru's shoes. "It's not possible. I won't- I can't. The master is home and he'll want his lunch served by me... only."

"So you can't leave just for a few minutes? That sounds a little strict."

"Why do you want to go outside anyway?" Rin demanded, looking up at him, her violet eyes flashing.

"Because, I think we need a little escape." He answered.

"We? I can sneak you out, but I can't leave," Rin argued.

"Just because the _master_ wants you to serve his dinner?" Haru mocked.

"More than that! Someone might need me! I am the housekeeper here and I have duties I need to fulfill and I have responsibilities!"

"Not even for a few minutes?"

"No."

"All right, then." Haru shrugged. "Can you check to see if anyone is in the hall? I want to go to my room." Rin nodded and checked. No one was there so he left, the door practically slamming behind him.

As for Rin, she breathed out a sigh of relief. When she turned to her dresser to get changed, she realized her hands were shaking. Angry at that weakness, she clenched them into a fist before dressing in a black dress, her everyday attire.

Haru sat on the bed in his room. His shoulders were slumped in boredom, but mostly in defeat. He had wanted so badly to get out of this gloomy castle and enjoy the sunshine. With _her. _With _Isuzu_.

It seemed she needed to enjoy the sunshine as well. She was cooped up in this place with her "duties" and her "responsibilities", but when did she ever escape from it all? Haru was good at doing that: escaping, that is. Except his last escape was not _into_ the something, but _away_ from something. Away from the law.

Grumbling under his breath, Hatsuharu rubbed his hand over his face in disappointment. He wouldn't think about that, not now. At least, not until he left. When was he leaving anyway? He shouldn't stay too long. If he did, he would be putting himself at risk. All it took was someone to see him, ask questions, and find out the truth. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. The truth.

What if... isuzu found out the truth? Would she reject him like the others before her? Or... would she accept him, nonetheless?

BAM. The sound of a door closing broke Haru from thinking any further on the subject. He jumped up to the door, opened it up a little, and saw Isuzu's figure disappearing up the stairs. Her thin body stiff and in control. How would she look if she stood in a field soaking in the sunlight? Just then, more than anything, Haru desired-wanted- to see Isuzu's expression in that moment.

A light rumble in his stomach reminded Haru of breakfast. He bit his lip, Isuzu had forgotten to bring his breakfast. Or was she getting it now? He decided to wait for her, like he always did.

Half-an-hour later, Haru's stomach was grumbling so loudly, that he couldn't wait any longer. He checked the hall for anyone: no one. As quiet as a mouse, he stole to the stairs and climbed them, his ears alert for any sounds. From below, it was just as quiet as he left it. Up above, it was just as quiet.

He peeped into the room that the stairs came up to. Luckily for him, it was the kitchen, and... it was empty. Another rumble spurred him on. He found a block of cheese which he cut off several slices from, a glass of wine, and a few slices of bacon. They were all gone in a matter of seconds. When he put the empty glass into a tub full of dirty dishes, he got a good look around.

It was a large kitchen, which could serve at least twenty cooks at once with no trouble at all. In one corner sat a large hearth that did not hold a fire that it would be expected to have, but a few embers. There were three tables, long and strong. Many baskets lined the walls, holding herbs, vegetables, or bread. One wall was lined with a stone counter that held an array of utensils, mostly knives, and the tub full of dirty dishes. One small door seemed to lead out outside, it stood at one end of the counter.

A large entryway next to the staircase led out to a hallway. Curious, Haru followed it to a large room that held an enormous chandelier. A pair of bolted doors stood at one end of the hall, at the other end was a large staircase that went up to the second floor. He knew where the doors led: outside. But where did the stairs go? He made sure that he was not seen, even thought there was literally no one around.

Haru went around to many of the rooms, checking in and out, not looking for anything in particular, but just surveying the scenery. He saw a few servants go by, and he hid himself behind a tapestry hanging from a window; it was a young girl with a cute smile on her face and a young man with orange hair. They were laughing about the girl named "Tohru" who had apparently tripped over nothing.

When they disappeared around the corner, Haru came out. He went by a door that was shut, like the others, but there were voices, men's voices coming from behind it. It wasn't like him to stay and put an ear to the wood, but when he heard Isuzu's voice, he stopped walking away. They were faded but discernible.

"Rin, how has your morning so far?" one voice asked. Who was Rin? Was that Isuzu?

"Fine," she answered. She sounded angry.

"I'm glad to hear it. Did you have any dreams, Rin?"

"No," was her reply.

"No? Not even about... her?"

There was a long pause then enough to make Haru nervous. She answered calmly, "No."

"I have heard news about her, Rin. Would you like to hear it?" he asked, there was noise of ruffling papers. A few coughs, meaning more than one man was in there. Who were these guys?

"No," Rin said, not as firmly as before.

"No? But it's good news, Rin. I'm sure you would love to hear about how... she's been doing." A slight pause, but Rin didn't say anything. "She has been nicknamed, Rin, by some of the others. She is now called 'Saki'. Do you like it? I think it fits her very well. Also, I'm sure you want to know that she has a birthday coming up. Next week, isn't it?"

"Akito, Isuzu needs to finish her chores," a new voice said. Silence.

"Yes, I suppose so. Rin, you may go." The other voice said, annoyed.

"Enjoy your lunch," Isuzu said. Haru jumped away when he heard the doorknob moving. He stood to the side as the door opened, revealing Isuzu. She closed it behind her. Her head bowed, those violet orbs were closed, and her shoulders were quivering. A hand went up to her mouth. Haru came up to her and put a large palm on her shoulder.

"Who?" she started, but when she saw Haru, she jumped. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice low, but dangerous. "I heard you voice and I wanted to know what was going on. Who is that guy? Why did he-"

"It's none of your concern! Come with me! I'll take you back to your room! You weren't supposed to leave it! You could have been seen! Did... anyone see you?" Rin had started to move down the hallway, but she faced him again. Hatsuharu shook his head smiling.

"No, I managed to sneak around without anyone seeing me," he said proudly. Rin quirked one eyebrow up, then grabbed his hand from his shoulder. She marched down the hallway, looking around for any servants wandering around.

Haru followed, with a slight smile on his face, but he was frowning on the inside. He was concerned for her.

When they came to the kitchen, Rin pushed him in the direction of the stairs. "Go down and I'll bring you lunch in an hour," she said, turning around. But Haru had different ideas. He whirled to her, grabbed her hand, and twirled her thin body to face him. Her shocked expression and her silence spurred him on so he ran to the other door with Rin dragging behind him.

She had to lunge forward just to keep up with him, his long legs making it hard for her. She was tall and thin, but he had caught her off guard. When they came to the door, he swung it open and pulled Rin outside with him. As soon as the door shut, he backed her to the stone wall with both hands on either side of her, blocking her escape, unless she ducked under them.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" he asked, with a smile. "We're outside with no one around."


	7. Chapter 7 Beware the Master

Chapter Seven- Beware the Master

"Why did you bring me outside?" Rin asked louder still angry.

"Is your name Isuzu?" Haru asked, paused before continuing. "Or is it Rin?"

"It's both," she answered before thinking. "I go by both. But only the Master has ever called me Rin. Everyone else calls me Isuzu."

"Can I call you Rin?" A light smile appeared on his face again.

"Why?" she inquired, avoiding his burning gaze.

"I like it," he replied. Was it just her or was he getting closer? She pushed against his chest, sending tingles over her fingertips, all the while saying, "Yes, you may call me Rin." Hatsuharu smiled and let up, his hands dropping from the stone wall.

"Now why am I outside with you?" she continued, not letting the subject drop.

"You need to get out of that castle once in a while," he said, turning to see the view behind him. One corner of his mouth quirked up as he noticed a path leading around the castle.

"I am perfectly fine!"

"Are you?" he faced her, concerned in his eyes. "By what I heard in there, it didn't sound like it."

"That's none of your concern!" Hot angry tears threatened to slide down her cheeks, but Rin forced them not to.

Haru didn't say anything, only staring at the beautiful young woman in front of him. Her black eyebrows were arched downward, several strands of her hair had escaped from its bun, and a pair of violet eyes were glaring at him, but they shone with unshed tears. Inside his chest, his heart lurched; he wanted to hold her and comfort her.

"I'm sorry, Rin," he said quietly. Holding out his large white hand to her, he asked, "Do you wish to talk a walk?"

It was a long while before she answered. "Yes, but only for a short while." Against her will, she accepted his hand, but her heart urged her on.

They walked hand-in-hand with Haru leading to the pathway which led around to a stone archway. It matched the same stone as the building but was smoother and more finite as well covered in dark green ivy. Beyond the stone wall and the archway was an area crowded by bushes and other vegetation. Several thin branches reached out from the archway waving in the wind toward the couple as if beckoning them inside.

"What is this?" Haru asked the housekeeper beside him. She shook her head. "I don't know. I've never been outside this way before."

"Let's see what it is," he suggested, already pushing against the branches with his free hand. Rin pulled him away. "Do you not want to see?"

"I merely want to remind you that the Master will be looking for me soon," she hissed at him. Chuckling, he said, "He can wait,". He prodded through the bush, pulling the housekeeper behind him.

"Watch for that," Haru warned, ducking a large vine close to his head. Rin obeyed and suddenly they were clear of the growth.

It was a garden, one that had been abandoned years ago, but instead of dying from lack of care, the plants thrived so much so that it crowded the area. Ivy limbs thick as rope had slithered up the stone and spread across creating a blanket of green. The grass was brown and up to their knees. Large bushes of distorted size and shape with branches reaching for them carried flowers and leaves of all colors.

Haru chuckled lightly. He reached toward a leaf dangling from a branch and plucked it off with a snap. Spinning it in front of his face, he watched the many hues and shadows spin along with it. Then as carelessly as he picked it up, he tossed it back.

Rin forgot about Master, forgot about _her_, and forgot about all her duties as she soaked in the sight around her. She touched the tips of the pink flowers at her feet, then caressed the silky brown grass.

Haru watched the young woman glide from one green plant to another with such grace and beauty, he was fascinated, not by the garden, but by her. He couldn't tear his eyes from her hair pulling against the branches in which it snagged on, but then he watched Rin turn around and untangled them with her thin fingers. When she looked up at the ivy, his eyes stared at her profile. He literally could not stop from gazing at Rin.

With two steps, he caught up to her, and with one swift, but gentle grab, he had her arm. She turned to him, her violet eyes wide with surprise. He looked down at her; his strong, pale fingers sliding to her palm. When their fingers were entwined, Rin looked at them curiously before looking back at the man at her side.

"Haru," she said.

"Shhh." He placed two fingertips over her mouth, then removed them as his own mouth was coming nearer. Rin stiffened. Just before his lips touched hers, she snapped out of his hold.

"No," she hissed, then turned around to find the exit. The young man's shoulders slumped, but he didn't let that get to him. Quietly, he grabbed her arm and marched through the brush to reach the outside. Rin didn't argue for long, because they were free of each other as soon as they were free of the garden.

They stood there side by side, not looking at each other; she fixed her wild hair that now had leaves in it and he brushed his hand through his white spikes to clear it of any debris. When she was done, she turned on him.

"Haru, you must go back to your room and not let anyone else see you. I must get back to the Master," she said sternly. He nodded and followed her to the door. Rin went in first to check to see if it was clear. She stepped inside, saw that Kagura and Tohru were inside cleaning dishes, and pushed Haru back with one hand.

He looked down at the hand on his chest. Gently, he took it in his own hand and kissed it the top of one of her knuckles.

Rin felt a shock run through her body when he planted his kiss on her hand, but she couldn't do anything about it, because half of her body was outside and the other half was being stared at by Kagura and Tohru.

"Miss Isuzu?" Kagura called, looking strangely at the housekeeper. Rin snapped her head to her and said, "Has the Master called for me?" _Please not right now..._

Five more shocks rippled across Rin's skin, distracting her from Tohru's answer. Haru was planting a kiss atop of each of her knuckles. "Could you repeat that?" Rin demanded, angry at the man behind the door. Already her neck was turning red and getting warm.

Tohru shared a glance with Kagura but cheerfully repeated her message: "The Master asked for you ten minutes ago."

_Oh no..._ "Alright, get back to work," Rin commanded.

"Yes, Miss Isuzu," Tohru answered, turning to work fiercely on the glass she held. Kagura bowed her head and continued as well. Then Rin felt herself being pulled out the door by Haru's hands. He smiled at her as the door shut behind her.

"Go to the front door and I will open it for you," she commanded. He nodded and went off to the front. "And make sure you're not seen!" she called after him. When he was out of sight, she disappeared inside.

Tohru and Kagura looked up again, but resumed their work. Rin straightened her skirt and fixed her hair as she walked swiftly past them to the front door. The bolt was locked, but she had the key. Only a few feet to go until she could open it.

"Rin!" The housekeeper could feel her heart drop down to her feet when she heard the voice of her Master.

"Yes?" she said, turning to face him, keys behind her back. The man at the top of the staircase, raised an eyebrow in suspicion but did not remark on it.

"I called for you ten minutes ago. Where were you?" he demanded.

"Outside... checking the garden," she answered truthfully.

"You have no reason to be outside, Rin. Stay inside at all times, unless I command you to! Do you understand?" She nodded, although she was biting her lip to keep herself from yelling herself.

"I want you in my room," continued the Master.

"I will be there shortly," answered Rin, staring him down.

"Now, Rin, I won't have my orders being disobeyed." Then he swept around to his room. When he was out of sight, the young woman sighed deeply and unlocked the front bolt.

The door opened without a creak, like a perfectly oiled hinge, and she put her head through the opening to look for Hatsuharu, but he wasn't there. The front walk way was empty.


	8. Chapter 8 Cracks within the Mortar

Chapter Eight- Cracks between the Mortar

When Haru walked around the castle to the front door like Rin had sharply commanded him to do, he found it still locked. He thought, perhaps, Rin was delayed by something or someone and could not rush over. So he waited for ten minutes, but she still did not come. Frustrated as well as confused by the situation, Haru stared at the door, debating in his mind whether to stay in plain sight.

"_If she doesn't come in the next five minutes, I'm going through the side door,"_ he thought, eyeing his surroundings. Trees bordered the land and the driveway coming up to the front entrance. Birds chirped, short gusts of wind blew against the branches, and insects buzzed at the fruits trees standing in the center of the oval driveway.

Five minutes came and went.

Rin did not appear.

So Haru marched to the door from which he entered and put his ear to the rough wood. There were no sounds since the heavy door was so thick. With the slowest and quietest of motions, he began to push the door open. Unfortunately for him, the hinges were starting to creak. It was a high-pitch screeching in Haru's right ear, since it was the closest to the door. He cursed the door, but did not attempt to shut it.

When it was ajar enough for him to see into the kitchen, Haru put his eye to the slit of dim light. There was no movement from what he saw: he decided to risk it. If caught, he'd have to make up a story on the spot, but if he wasn't caught…

He was inside and the door was shut within seconds, screeching loudly, enough to make a head pop in to see the commotion. But no head popped in and no servant walked by. The coast was clear. Haru was alone inside the kitchen. He went immediately to the top of the stairs that led to the servant's quarters.

"_Maybe, Rin is in her room."_

But Rin was not in her room. Haru found it empty as the kitchen. He scratched his scruffy white head in bewilderment. "What's going on?" he asked no one in particular. When No One in Particular didn't answer, he sighed, then opened up the bedroom door and stepped out to look for the missing housekeeper. Her disappearance was worrying him.

Being careful not to be seen was much easier than Haru suspected. As he whisked along the halls, searching the rooms with much speed and agility as possible, he saw only three servants. There was the cute girl before, a boy with silver hair (which was totally different from Haru's which was pure white), and a girl with dark brown hair with an off-white apron on. They were dusting the dining room. Haru did not see the orange headed boy from earlier.

While he was searching, Haru discovered that the castle was huge! The rooms were massive (compared to the servant's bedrooms) and the furniture were so ornate and thick with detail. The wood was mostly from trees with dark wood like mahogany or teak. If some piece had metal on it, the metal was usually silver. In fact, Haru didn't see any gold items in the entire area he covered! He found candlesticks with rich, red designs painted on them, he discovered a trunk painted completely white and locked (which stood out remarkably against all the dark elements of the castle), and most strange of all was the collection of black cloth (at least, Haru thought it was strange to have so much black). There were tons of it! Rolls and rolls of tapestry were all black! An entire bedroom was decked in black fabric and rugs.

"_Who is this Master?"_ Haru thought, stroking a black cloth napkin, sitting on a table. The feel was silky, but yet textured with a pattern sewn on it. Since it was folded several times over, the only quarter of the napkin Haru saw was a corner. On this corner, the pattern was stitched to be a crown. The young man stared at the napkin and the crown, wondering what kind of man loved black, owned one piece of white furniture, and had his napkins stitched with crowns.

Then Haru found a door with a lock on it, unlike all the other doors which were not locked. It was a thick lock, old, but not falling apart. By the way, it still held firm against the bolts of the door, it seemed to be in excellent condition. _"I wonder… what's behind this?"_

Gently, Haru put his ear to the door. He didn't know why he did this, but he _felt_ as if he must. Not a premonition, but a shadow of an idea. When the shell of his left ear made contact with dark wood, he was surprised not to find silence.

Though muffled, the sounds echoed deep like bow playing a cello. And, words were being formed directly and swiftly, as if this man was passionate. Some words, in fact, most of the words had longer syllables and there were very few pauses (Haru believed these to be pauses for breath). From the way some moments were emphasized by the voice rising then falling and one minute the voice was near the door and the next it was far away, it appeared that someone was walking and angry.

He pressed his ear closer to the wood to attempt to hear more. A word jumped through the wood to ear: "death". Then another one! "Ring" Or was it "Thing"? Or was it "King"? When the voice repeated the "ooh" sound and the voice would rise, Haru guessed that someone else was in the room listening to this long speech!

There were two people inside this locked room!

"_Why?"_

In shock and confusion, Haru lifted his head up and he saw how the sky was darkening. Realization hit him full force. _"Rin!"_

Forgetting the two people behind the locked door, Haru jogged down the hall. He watched for servants and the Master, incase he appeared like a ghost: out of nowhere. But no one walked by, or jumped out at him. The house was empty! Or… at least, it appeared that way.

If one was to happen to see him run in the halls, that one would see a blur of dark clothes and a mop of white hair go whizzing past. Hatsuharu didn't know it, but _there_ was someone happening to look into the hall and just happened to see him run by. That person sipped his tea in silence, his dark eyes slowly straying from the unknown visitor to the darkening sky to the dog at his feet sleeping.

Now Haru had made it to the kitchen and he descended into the recesses of the downstairs, his heart thumping a little louder than normal. When he made it to Rin's room, he hoped, he wished, he prayed for her to be there. A little twist of the knob would reveal the truth.

Slowly and carefully, he turned the knob, pushed the door open with his hand and looked up into the room.

There was Rin.

She was on her bed. Her hair was disheveled, wildly spread out on the sheets, and two tears dripped from her chin to the sheets under her. She was lying on her side, her arms stretched in front of her. Four long red marks ran from her left elbow down to her wrist. Even though she silently wept, her expression was numb, unemotional. Her violet orbs stared at her arms, but they weren't focused. She seemed not even to be looking, but dazing into nothingness.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm so sorry to all my faithful readers (I love you all! big tear) for waiting three months until I updated! I'm a procastinator and I have a terrible memory! So sorry! I'll TRY to update As soon as possible. Hope you like!


	9. Chapter 9 Feelings Form

Chapter Nine- Feelings Form

When Hatsuharu came through the door, he drew in a slow, deep breath, surveying Rin in her awful state. Without any words, he shut (practically slammed) the door, rushed quickly to the bed, and stood on the side nearest her head.

"Rin," he whispered in a gasp, not able to fully touch her body. She blinked once.

"What happened?" Haru demanded, his voice raising to anger. His eyes flashed a dark--almost black--color.

"Nothing," Isuzu murmured, so silently he almost did not hear her.

"Nothing?!" Haru's voice raised higher to the point he was yelling. His fists at his sides

"Nothing," she repeated, pushing herself up. Her black hair fell over her face as she looked up at him, her eyes staring emotionless at his beautiful face. Their gazes met.

Silently, she got up from her bed and stood before him, disheveled but calm. "I'm going to work now," she told him quietly, forcing herself to appear under control.

"No," he muttered, glaring. "You should be in bed, Rin."

"You can't order me, Hatsuharu."

"… I can force you."

Her violet eyes glared at him. The muscles in his neck were tensing.

"Stay away," she told him.

"Rin, you have to get to bed. You've been hurt." As he said that, his voice strained with anger. He put out a hand to steady her wobbly form, but she stepped back out of his reach.

"Don't touch me," she commanded.

"I'm only helping you," he continued, following her.

"No! You're stopping me from doing my duty!"

"I'm stopping you from hurting yourself further!"

"Go away!"

Hatsuharu decided he had enough and charged at the thin, bruised housekeeper. She barely had enough time to gasp for he was very fast. He swung her frame over his shoulder and carried her to the bed. When she was plopped down, his large hands folded over her wrists as he bent over her.

"Rin, I'm here to help," he said to her, calmly.

"Get away from me," Rin growled, her voice threatening and dangerous. However, it had no effect on the man leaning toward her.

"What happened, Rin?" he asked, still very calm.

"What happened is none of your concern," she hissed. Her attempt on escaping wasn't working very well, his grip was strangely very strong for a thin man.

"It is if I care about you," he murmured. Rin's breath caught. She couldn't seem to hear her heart beat either. _He cares?_

Then their eyes met once again. His beautiful gray eyes were not full of pity, no, they were full of warmth. Slowly, a gentle smile appeared to form on his lips. "Let me care for you, please," he begged. _Please, Rin._

This was all Rin could take. Her head bobbed a "yes", as her eyes began to cloud with tears. _He cares!_ When Haru's grip on her wrists loosened and he straightened up, she got up and crawled to him on the bed. Her long, lean form folded against his chest, her head against her knees and her arms wrapping around her legs. His warmth against her left side sent chivers across her spine, but… it was a good shiver.

Hatsuharu put his hands under her knees and around her back. She weighed next to nothing when he picked her up. He put her on one side of the bed and he wormed around to surround her with his body heat. Then, quite magically, Rin leaned on Haru and _grinned_.

For the next hour, they stayed like that: huddled against each other, enjoying the other's warmth, and rebuilding up their spirits. Over and over, Rin kept thinking, _"He cares for me. It's okay, if he cares for me."_

When they had both calmed down, Haru asked Rin to go to sleep. She agreed and he left the room so that she could change clothes. He waited outside her door, arms crossed, looking very calm and acting very calm, but his eyes sparked. They sparked with vengeance.

"Haru?" Rin whispered from behind him. He turned around, a smile growing and his eyes dimming into warmth.

Rin couldn't seem to stop staring into Haru's face, even as her own face was blushing. He brushed a strand from her well-combed hair with a grin on his face. When his hand touched her cheek, it stayed there. This was when Rin turned her eyes from him.

"I-I'm going to bed now," she said.

"All right." Then, he stepped forward to close the space between them. Rin's heart beat grew louder within her chest. Both hands were placed on her shoulders and a pair of lips brushed her forehead.

"I'll be right here, if you need me," he told her, stepping back. She nodded and went into her room.

As soon as the lock clicked, Haru's shoulders tensed. His whole form shifted into a controlled anger. Fists clenched, eyes darted up to the stairs, a snarl forming on his lips.

He looked like an angry dog kept on a chain and he was pulling to be free. Free to attack the enemy.

Haru took a step toward the stairs, then another. He was careful not break loose too fast. He knew if he broke loose too fast, his anger would cause him to be unstoppable. Control was the key.

At the top of the stairs, not a servant was in sight. Again, it seemed like no one was home… until the orange-haired and the silver-haired boy came into view, arguing. The silver-haired boy was speaking.

"All you have to do, Kyo, is give the food to Shigure. He can take care of the rest."

"I don't want to!" The orange-boy hissed.

"You're acting very childish, Kyo," the other boy continued, dully. "If this continues, I'll make Tohru do it."

Suddenly, Kyo's facial expression changed from pure anger into calm concern. Those eyes that once glared so starkly were now staring at the ground. They seemed so vulnerable.

"No, I'll do it. I won't make Tohru see the Master while he's still… angry," Kyo murmured before they disappeared.

Just as they were gone from view, Haru remembered that Rin was talking to the Master before he dragged her outside and he was asking for her when they were coming back inside.

"_The Master asked for you ten minutes ago."_ That servant "Tohru" had said. Just then Haru discovered who was behind Rin's bruises: the Master.

Adrenline pumped into his veins, a sweat drop flitted down his neck, and his eyes flashed a dark-almost black- color. Haru was angry, angry because _the Master_ had hurt Rin, _his_ Rin. Just when he was about to jump off to find the fiend, he remembered what Shishou had said before he left.

"_Don't return here unless you are prepared to face the consequences of your actions. I won't hide you here when the authorities are searching you out."_

"Consequences of my actions! I didn't kill Akira!" Haru spoke angrily, spitting the words like a bad taste. "But HE deserves what I'm going to give him!" When an image of slender, _beautiful_ Rin appeared in his mind, he didn't need any more encouragement to search out the Master.

He marched up the stairs, being careful of those servants, and came to that door from which he heard _his_ voice. The doors were closed. When he stood in front of them, he didn't pause even once to catch his breath. Somehow he knew that the Master was behind those wooden doors and somehow he knew the doors weren't locked. He put his hands on the knobs and pushed.


	10. Chapter 10 What is Truth

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Chapter 10- What is truth

The doors slammed against the walls.

Three heads looked up from their dinner on the table by the window. When Hatsuharu came storming into the room, all three men were stunned in silence. All three men recognized and _knew_ him, especially one in particular.

Haru looked at all three men, blanked, forgetting Rin, and suddenly cried out, "REN!" the same time the man in the middle cried "YOU!" as he was jumping out of his chair. Haru took a step back in astonishment. His heart, thundering from running up stairs, was now pounding in his ears.

"What are YOU doing here?" the man in the middle asked, his voice commanding and practically yelling. Haru couldn't answer, his mind was too confused. He put a hand to his temple and stared at the young man who was now marching toward him with two other men following.

"So he's finally back," the taller one murmured with a sly smile on his face.

"Why? He shouldn't BE back!" cried the one who had yelled. He went to Haru and pulled him up by the front of his shirt.

"YOU shouldn't be back at all! You're not supposed to be alive!" he yelled, spit flying. As for Haru, he put down his hand and glared at the man.

"You," he muttered, angrily and accusingly. The man's eyes flashed one second with fear before growing angrier.

"Why aren't you dead?" the man asked.

"Why not?" Haru ricocheted. The man squirmed uneasily and let go of Haru's shirt. Haru looked at the other two men, then back at _him._ "Do they know the truth?" 

A pair of dark eyes surrounded by thick lashes stared at him, dark black bangs hung loosely like sideburns and pretty, thin lips curled into a beautiful sly grin. He touched Haru's neck, tracing the veins that stood out down to his collarbone. The young man flinched slightly. "Do they know the truth?" the man asked Haru, now touching his shoulder. "You mean about…Akira's death?… Yes, they know. They were _there_."

"So they know who actually killed him," Haru stated, glancing at the other two. One, the taller one, was crossing his arms and the other-the one with glasses- was eyeing the other. "They know… the identity of the true killer is."

"They do," the man whispered in Haru's right ear, walking behind him to his front. His left hand still tracing.

"You did it," the soft melody of his voice sent Hatsuharu's hands to shake.

"Akito, enough," spoke the one with the glasses. Haru's gray eyes flashed from him to the man who was grinning like a fox.

"You're… you're not Ren?" he stuttered. Akito laughed.

"No," he chirped between fits of laughter. 

"But you look just like her!" Haru stated, gaping.

Quite suddenly a new change went through Akito. Like a total switch on his character and behavior, it was. His once smiling eyes now burned with that same anger that glared at Haru when he burst into the room. His frame stiffened and his spine straightened. "No, I don't!" he boomed. "I look nothing like her at all!"

The man with his arms crossed over his broad chest began to chuckle. "Akito, you could be her twin," he said quiet happily.

"Shut your mouth, Shigure," Akito snapped.

Haru didn't hear what he said next: a roar was swarming through his ears and his brain. The room was spinning and his tongue was dry as was his hands. Sweat dripped through his clothes, soaking his armpits and his feet.

"You're… Akira's daughter," he whispered in astonishment, not able to look away from the men's clothes which hung very loosely on Akito's frame. The roar in his ears died instantly.

Flashback

"_What is your name?" The man with light yellow hair, bangs that looked like side burns, and a weak smile looked kindly at Hatsuharu._

"_Hatsuharu," he answered, bowing his head to the Master of the House._

"_I expect great things from you, Hatsuharu," the man answered. A light blush crossed Haru's features._

"_Thank you, sir," Haru replied._

"_Do you see that woman in the garden there, Hatsuharu?" the man asked, his hand pointing to the garden beyond the porch where the men sat._

"_Yes, sir," Haru replied courteously._

"_She is my wife," stated the gentleman smiling. Slowly, he got up from his chair and walked to the opposite side of the porch, which overlooked a stone bench. On it sat a young woman in a purple dress. She was reading a book._

"_And this," began the gentleman. His eyes seemed to warmth and deeper love as he looked upon her. "This is my daughter."_

"_Yes, sir," Haru said._

End of Flashback

SLAP! A hand hit his cheek, waking him up from his internal shock. Akito, with her right hand a little pink from the hit, glared at Haru. Then she took hold of Haru's shirt again and leaned into his face.

"And you are Akira's killer," he hissed at him through clenched teeth.

Haru remained silent, still shocked from the slap, but, nevertheless, calmly remained still. His anger had not yet risen to its full potential, even when he charged into the room in which they now stood.

"Admit it, you killed _my father_!" Akito went on, her voice like a dagger stabbing Haru's soul.

It was then Haru answered. "I am not the one who took your father's life."

"It was you!" The hand at the collar of Haru's shirt tightened its grip. "I saw you there! You can't deny it!"

"It wasn't me!" Haru replied, his voice sharp and upset. He had slipped a little in his control.

"It was Ren!"

Again, a shock of fear appeared in Akito's dark eyes. But as quickly as it came, it disappeared within her soul.

"Ren?" Shigure asked from behind. He tipped his left to the right in bewilderment. "She wasn't even at the house when it happened."

"She was there, behind the curtain," Haru informed him, looking beyond the silent man holding his collar. "I was framed by her." _She killed her own husband! It was her hand! Not mine!_

"You held the bloodied knife in your hand!" The other hand of Akito came up and took the other side of the collar. The grip had increased; folds of white pulled against the taught muscles of Haru's neck.

"She set me up."

"It makes sense." A new voice joined in. The man with the glasses sighed in frustration before continuing. "Ren was jealous of all the attention Akira gave to Akito."

"Don't you start, Hatori!" Akito growled at the man.

"You saw it yourself, Akito." Hatori went on. "You saw the way he looked at you and the way she looked at him, looking at you."

"She was jealous," Shigure finished.

"Shigure!" Akito yelled, her face contorting furiously.

"I was set up. Why would I kill the man who taught me responsibility and life?" Haru asked. Akito's face whipped back to him, her eyes growing large.

"He loved me," she whispered. "He wanted the best for me. And you had to kill him!"

"Akito," Shigure put a hand on Akito's shoulder, only for it be shrugged off.

"I don't know how you came back or how you got into my house," she started, "But, now I'm going to kill you." The two hands that were once holding Haru's collar were now on his neck and the pressure was increasing very quickly. His windpipe was closing; he was beginning to cough.

\/p> 


	11. Chapter 11 What to Say

\/p>

Chapter 11- What to say

"Akito!" Hatori and Shigure rushed at the Master, putting their hands on her, attempting to drag her off Hatsuharu. As for Akito, her face was pulled back into a wild smile, her eyes crazed and a little sweat trickling down her neck. Long nails scraped against her victim's neck as she squeezed and squeezed. Hatsuharu pushed against her, but she locked her legs around his waist, making him unable to escape. His windpipe was closing and his eyesight was blurring.

He staggered under Akito's weight, hitting the couch behind him. The two toppled over the back onto the soft cushions; Akito never let go. 

"I…I didn't--kill--Akira!" Haru choked out. Shigure and Hatori wrapped their arms around Akito's thin waist, yet their efforts were in vain. Suddenly, something snapped inside Haru.

His mind exploded with one image burning wildly: Akira's pale face smiling at him, at Haru. _"You will do great things, Hatsuharu."_

"I said…_" _growled a new _dark_ voice from Haru's mouth. His eyes were covered by his white hair and his mouth could only be seen. It was snarling.

"I DIDN'T KILL AKIRA!" The new voice was now yelling at the top of his lungs.

Haru's body jerked violently and powerfully forward, throwing Akito off onto the other side of the couch, arms flailing. A pair of wide, angry eyes glared at her as Haru's body stood over her, tensed. His hand shot out and caught her shoulder, pulling it toward him.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME!" Haru screeched. His arm muscles bulged. Hatori and Shigure watched in horror as their Master silently tried to gain her sanity back by opening and closing her mouth. However, the new Haru was a huge problem. 

"BELIEVE WHAT I SAY THE FIRST TIME!" With one more jerk, the white-haired young man had tossed the woman in men's clothes across the room onto the carpet. He now walked over to her and squatted down, putting his large hands on her neck.

"If I truly killed Akira, do you think I'd come back here!" He demanded of Akito. She didn't answer, her neck was being squeezed.

"Akito!" Shigure called, running toward them, followed closely by Hatori.

"HARU!" A new voice entered the room from the open doors. There stood Rin, in her nightgown, her hair wildly messed and her cheeks stained with tears. Her thin shoulders shook.

"WHAT?" Haru snapped, turning head from his victim toward the doors. When he saw Rin, the shining glare died in his eyes and all the strength he once possessed drained away like a plug had been pulled.

"Rin?" Shigure said, turning to her. Hatsuharu got up from the floor one hand reaching for her. 

"Rin, I--" But she was already gone out of the door, into the hallway, a trail of tears on her face.

Haru followed closely behind, leaving a half-crazed Akito on the floor coughing, and two silent confused men watching Haru bound out after Rin. One corner of Shigure's mouth pulled up, but the grin was hidden by the hand he had on his mouth.

"Shigure," Akito coughed, and held hand out to him. Shigure took the hand and helped Hatori assist the young woman onto the nearest couch. Once she was settled, she closed her eyes and leaned forward on her elbows which sat upon her knees. Shigure's black dog came up from the hallway, walked to his master, and licked his hand. When it saw a distressed Akito, he trotted over to her and licked her elbow. Akito's hand went to it and rubbed one of the ears.

"Rin and _him_ know each other…" muttered Shigure, still looking at the open doors. "What an interesting turnabout. Are you going to go after him, Akito?"

"Hatori, get Kureno _now!"_ Akito growled, looking at the man with the glasses. He nodded and strutted off obediently. When he was out of earshot, she sighed heavily, raking her long fingernails through her short black hair.

"Shigure," she grumbled under breath.

"Yes?' asked the young man coyly.

"Why didn't you tell me that Kazuma's ward had returned… alive?" Akito demanded.

"I didn't know."

"You should know."

"I bet he hasn't seen him yet," he figured aloud.

"But he will," Akito growled. "And I can't let that happen!"

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End file.
